Description

Team Members

Team Mentor

Mary Pergander
I am a public library director. My first public library was underfunded, and we had to raise money to do routine projects like update technology. I have also successfully obtained grants. In my former life, I was heavily involved in fund-raising. I am here to support you in any way I can, and I am certain I will learn, too!
What ideas have you had so far, and what progress is being made? How did your time together at ALA go?

Source, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Public Libraries in the United States, 200

3. Performed a literature scan of public library fundraising.

On Tuesday, March 13, 2007, 6pm Romina hosted a Conference Call.
The following is a summary of our conversation. It includes our goals, individual team member’s responsibilities, a general timeline and future mode of communication.

Dependant on the library and its community’s relationship with its legislators.

Supplemental Funding

Coordinated and usually carried out by the library, a friend’s of the library and its community

Top Ten Lists:
Our group will work towards the goal of creating a “Top Ten List” for each of these categories for a total of 20 innovative methods of funding public libraries.

We will independently brainstorm a list of 3 to 10 ways in each of the 2 categories for Tuesday, March 27th and post our results on the wiki. Funding from Municipal, State & Federal Taxes will be a listing of innovative ways to get their representatives to advocate for them in fiscal terms. Supplemental Funding will be a listing of fundraising opportunities. Postings should be in bullet format with short explanation of method.

Group members should read through each other’s postings and on Wednesday, March 28th or Thursday, March 29th we will schedule a “chat” session to discuss our findings.

Explore Funding Failures:
Would be interesting to try to find innovative funding methods that didn’t work and why.

Poster Board Session at ALA Conference:
Since we do not know the specifics of our space, we do not want our installation/booth to be reliant on technology (may not have access to plugs, etc.).
The following is a list of what we would like to work towards for June 22, 2007

Design a brochure (for attendees to have something to walk away with).

Introduction/Synopsis explaining public funding followed but a list of innovative funding methods in bullet format, small explanation, sources and libraries who have successful implemented variations of the suggested funding method.
Lana volunteered doing layout/design once we get the content.Upload content to Kinkos and have brochures/poster material delivered to a group member in Washington, DC

Eye-catching display

Have an example of funding method like a wishing well.
logistics of this will have to be planned.

Romina will look into how to conference call at her library with us calling in and ALA communities chat option.

All Group Member Responsibilities for next chat:

All of us will post our preliminary innovative funding methods on the wiki. Each of us should submit at least 3-10 of innovative funding methods and are encourage to include any idea. This is a brainstorming session and we will refine the list later.

All of us will post our literature reviews on public funding. (This was emailed between group members February & March. On the wiki it will be in one accessible place)

All us have committed to check in every week after our chat, scheduled for the week of the 25th, and just share with our group where you are at. If you post something on the wiki you will email the group to inform them of the addition.

Suggestions:
Suggested to look at Business Literature for the fundraising model and sponsorship options.

Other Goals:
Create an article from our findings on our topic. This is difficult to coordinate with 4 members and perhaps a sub-group of 1-2 people would be better

Sources

Two library associations, Maryland Public Library and Administrators (MAPLA) and the Maryland Library Association (MLA) have worked closely to promote their public libraries and to monitor state legislation that will have an impact on public libraries and the people who work in them. The approach taken to the promotion of public libraries in Maryland was based on the results of the MAPLA Maryland Adult Survey(September 2003), which aimed to gather information about the perceived value of public libraries by the state's residents, look specifically at the return on investment (ROI) of government funding and provide information pertinent to the public officials who fund the libraries. Describes how the survey findings were translated into a grass roots library funding campaign. (For full text of this article see http://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/sep06/Baykan.shtml)).

Article included in a special issue devoted to the theme: Development and fundraising initiatives. Presents a case study which describes a library system in northern Virginia which has reinvented itself as a public service corporation. The Fairfax County Public Library, Virginia, has successfully developed a public-private model for fund development using a top managerial committee, known as the Enterprise Group, to integrate fundraising activities into every aspect of the library's operation. Balancing the need for additional revenue with the traditional mission of meeting the informational demands of its users in a cost-effective fashion, the library has been able to avoid the public relations and legal pitfalls that are inherent when public or non-profit organisations attempt to find private sources of income. Original abstract)

Describes the fundraising scheme adopted by Ketchikan Public Library,
Alaska, to collect money for its project to build a new library facility in the near future. The scheme was based on the long history of the production of beautiful coffee bags from Raven's Brew coffee,featuring the original work of Ray Troll. Evon Zerbetz, another local
artist, was a long-time supporter of the library and its literacy projects, and negotiations were entered into with the artist to design artwork for coffee bags depicting a raven flying out of a book. Considerable effort was undertaken to persuade a reluctant Raven's Brew to commit to the project with the result that the library negotiated with other coffee producers to produce coffee with the library's own label, under the name "The Green Coffee Bean Company"
and using the raven/book motif designed by Evon Zerbetz. The Friends of the Library group decided to have ceramic mugs, travel mugs, and water bottles made with the new artwork and, to date, the red ceramic mug is the most popular item, with approximately 400 sold. The project
raised about 3,000 dollars in less than a year.

In February 2002, the Governor of North Carolina reported that the state was suffering from a 900 million dollar budget deficit and the Governor's solution to this problem was to withhold 209 million dollars in state payments to local governments, which in turn forced many to cut local budgets, particularly for public libraries. To counter this problem North Carolina libraries sought other sources of finance and examined the possibility of using the Internet to submit proposals, research funding sources and communicate with colleagues on fundraising issues. Reports the results of a questionnaire survey,involving librarian in North Carolina libraries to determine the extent to which they are using the Internet for fundraising. Lists the available Internet fundraising strategies to show what might be achieved through this agency. (Quotes from original text)

Describes the establishment of rental collections under a quasi commercial self funding mechanism. Revenue of New Zealand libraries from rental collections; Details on the value calculation, a standard accounting method for assessing business propositions; Benefits derived from establishing a relationship with council funder.

Public libraries have turned to ongoing development efforts not only to increase private support, but also to make it more regular and dependable. Public libraries were also at the forefront of creation and use of Friends groups. Despite a history of major philanthropy and
a culture of supporting Friends groups, public libraries were slow to develop fully fledged development programmes. Many libraries still remain hesitant about more advanced fundraising programmes. More advanced development programmes usually involve a number of fundraising activities, including corporate, foundation, and government grant writing, planned giving involving wills and bequests etc. Describes 3 models for development offices in public libraries: the internal development office, a separate foundation with one or more friends and the merged model. Also covers development and strategic priorities, building constituencies and working with the community and staff roles in fundraising.

There are many ways for public libraries to supplement their tax revenues with private funds. One way, not to raise larger sums, but a certain winner with children - and the young at heart -is to have a'gimmick' placed where all who enter and leave the building must pass. Describes a spiral wishing well in which $1,500 in coins were collected in the lobby of Champaign public library in Illinois. Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: [1]. Website: [2] (Original abstract - amended)